With a grimace etched deep into his weathered features, Tōga raised his head, defiance blazing in his eyes. "Well, if that's the game you want to play," he growled, his voice resonant with indomitable resolve, "then I see no need to hold back."

Ichi, clad in his distinctive blue armor, flashed a predatory grin. "Seems our little toy isn't broken yet. But you should tend to those wounds," he taunted, nodding toward the myriad of injuries marring Tōga's body, each a testament to the brutal assault he had endured.

"You can call me Ichi," the armored figure continued, his tone casual yet laced with a venomous disappointment. "I'm the commander of the Jango Squadron. Blackbeard's orders were clear—eliminate you swiftly, given your reputed strength. But, frankly, you've been underwhelming."

Tōga bristled at the taunt, feeling the sting of underestimation fuel his fiery spirit. "Easy for you to say when it's all of you against just me," he retorted sharply, rising to his full stature, his energy palpably surging around him as he prepared to turn the tides.

"Nobody promised a fair fight, Dragon Slayer. If you think you can overcome us, prove it!" Ichi challenged, a sinister smirk playing across his lips as he unleashed another torrent of lightning from his palm, this time targeting Tōga's core.

Reacting with split-second precision, Tōga ducked low, evading the electric strike. He retaliated instantly, expelling a searing orb of fire directly at Ichi while simultaneously darting to the side. With a roar, he unleashed a relentless barrage of fiery waves, the intense heat licking at the structural integrity of the warehouse.

The building groaned under the onslaught, metal beams glowing red-hot as they began to twist and melt. Tōga's relentless assault didn't cease; he continued to channel his fiery rage into the very framework of the warehouse, transforming it into an inferno.

As the structure began to creak and sway ominously, Ichi and his squadron found themselves dodging not only Tōga's fiery attacks but also falling debris. The warehouse was collapsing around them, the cacophony of twisting metal and cracking concrete filling the air with a deafening rumble.

With a final, earth-shattering roar, the warehouse collapsed, a fiery inferno consuming everything within its walls. Tōga, battered and bruised, emerged from the wreckage, his eyes burning with the intensity of a thousand suns. He had sacrificed his surroundings to escape his captors, a desperate gamble that had paid off. But the battle was far from over, and Tōga knew that he would need every ounce of his strength and cunning to survive the night.

The aftermath of the warehouse explosion left an eerie silence hanging in the air, broken only by the sporadic crackling of residual flames gnawing at the remnants of what had once been a covert base of operations. From the rubble, Tōga, his form bruised and clothing tattered from the ordeal, catapulted himself skyward, leveraging the momentum to gain a clearer view of the battlefield. Below him, the site was a chaotic tableau of fire and destruction, with debris strewn across the scorched earth and several members of the Jango Squadron lying unconscious amid the devastation.

Yet the victory was not as decisive as Tōga had hoped. Ichi, the squadron's leader, burst forth from the chaos, propelled by bolts of lightning, his trajectory set squarely towards Tōga. The two clashed midair in a swift, agile duel, their movements a blur of combat finesse and tactical prowess.

“You were wise to manipulate the environment to your advantage," Ichi commented with a sardonic grin as he narrowly dodged a particularly fierce strike from Tōga. "However, it seems your actions have wrought more havoc upon yourself than my team." His eyes flicked briefly to the remaining members of his squadron who, despite showing signs of wear from the explosion, rallied with a renewed sense of coordination, outnumbering the lone Dragon Slayer.

As the aerial battle intensified, Tōga felt the strain on his body mounting, the adrenaline that had fueled his earlier fury now waning under the relentless assault of Ichi and his team. Just as despair began to nibble at the edges of his resolve, a surge of water announced the arrival of an unexpected ally. Strigr, the majestic sea dragon, emerged from the depths with a ferocious roar, her sleek, blue form slicing through the air. With precision born of the wild seas, she ensnared one of the mages, her coils binding him effortlessly before dragging him back into the watery abyss below, reducing the number of Tōga's assailants.

Reinvigorated by Strigr's timely intervention, Tōga refocused his efforts on Ichi and the remaining adversaries. The battlefield, now a blend of fire and water, reflected the chaos of the ongoing struggle. With each maneuver and counter, Tōga adapted to the relentless pace, his every move a calculated risk to turn the tide of the fight. The clash of elemental powers, the sharp zing of electricity, and the roar of flames filled the air as Tōga, supported by Strigr's sporadic interventions, fought not just for victory but for survival against the formidable Jango Squadron.

As the battle intensified, Tōga's body became a conduit for an inferno, flames erupting from his pores with a life of their own, each burst reinvigorating him with renewed vigor. The clash of elements around him seemed to stir the very soul of Luluhawa Island, causing the surrounding ocean to recoil and the beach to surrender its sand as debris swirled chaotically in the tempest of their conflict.

Focusing his efforts, Tōga identified the aqua mage among the Jango Squadron as a primary threat, given the inherent advantage water held over fire. With precision and speed, he maneuvered through the chaos, drawing Zangetsu in a swift arc. The blade hummed with accumulated light energy, casting a luminous crescent through the air. The attack struck its intended target with such force that the mage was sent hurtling over the ocean, his form barely touching the water's surface before Strigr emerged. The sea dragon, with her sleek, blue form gleaming under the moonlight, swiftly entangled the mage in her coils and pulled him beneath the waves in a fluid, decisive motion.

Not content with a single victory and driven by the momentum of his initial success, Tōga turned his attention to two other adversaries positioned close together. These mages, though potent in their own right, were caught off-guard by the ferocity and speed of Tōga's assault. They had little time to react or to harness their magic effectively. With another fierce cry from Zangetsu, Tōga unleashed a second wave of radiant energy. This sweeping arc surged forward, its path unerring and its impact devastating.

The two mages were caught squarely by the blast, the sheer force of the impact sending them spiraling backward. They crashed into a nearby warehouse, one not yet consumed by the flames of battle. The structure, unable to withstand the collision combined with the ongoing chaos, groaned ominously before succumbing to its injuries and collapsing under the weight of the impact.

The area now resembled a battlefield marked by scorched earth and ruined buildings, a witness to the fierce contest of wills and power unfolding on this once-peaceful island. With each mage he incapacitated, Tōga not only diminished the forces arrayed against him but also chipped away at the morale of those who remained. His actions, fueled by both necessity and a fierce determination to protect, reshaped the landscape around him into a canvas of destruction and defiance. As he prepared for the next phase of his confrontation, Tōga was keenly aware that each movement and decision could tip the scales further in his favor or spell his downfall. With resolve steeling his every motion, he readied himself for whatever challenges the Jango Squadron might still present.

---

Wc: 1300